Minister won’t guarantee prices won't rise

OTTAWA — Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon won’t guarantee the cost to fly won’t go up for travellers if the federal government follows through on its plan to privatize Canada’s four largest airports but does promise an improved experience and partial regulation.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the federal government is seeking private investment to run Canada’s four major airports: Toronto-Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau, Calgary and Vancouver.

In an interview on CTV Question Period airing Sunday, host Vassy Kapelos pressed MacKinnon repeatedly on whether he could guarantee ticket prices will not go up for travellers, and the transport minister would only promise no ‘unjustified’ increases.

“We will have a program, as the prime minister announced, that will reward regional connectivity in Canada,” MacKinnon said. “Airfares are too expensive.”